San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-07
THE PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE.

THE PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE.
The presidents message is before the
country. II the democracy OF the Coun-
try are satisfied with Its craftsmanship
the reE ublicans surely should be. Ii is
safe to say that no such document was
ever before presented TO this nation as
the message OF its chief magistrate; and,
1t Is equally safe to say that, when its
author retires to the shades Of that prl-
vRte life for which he must be 80 pre-
eminently fitted having no qualifications
for public life, no such document will be
again presented. The sole subject with
which 1t deals Is the subject Of tariff re-
duotiOn, and this II would accomplish
so as to add increased protection to
American labor. AS James Russell
Lowell says Of "Zekel, in the court
ship. He stood while on Cn5
'oot fust, And then q while on t'Other,
And on which one he felt the wUst, He
couldn't have told you, nuther'-Just
so Grover seemed to stand in this mes
Portable with his heavy reduction Of tar
III foot foremost, or his Increased pro-
lection to American labor In the ad-
vance, 1t would puzzle even Carlisle to
tell. Dan Lamont certainly had no hand
in that document 1t Is Grover Cleve-
land all over. Heavy, indistinot, YER
bose, a perfect mass OF mixed meanings
and evidently intended TO front north by
south for election purposes in 1888.
That it will fall Of it's pUr-
pose there can be little doubt. The fact
is significant, that while this document
wEs being read In congress the wool
growers OF the country, against whom
his message seems more particularly di-
rected than against any other class OF
American producers, were in session I'M
der the very shadow OF the capital TAX
ing steps to protect the wool interests OF
the country from the distractions threat
ened In the presidential recommends
ton. The lame and impOtent manner
of presenting his views aocOrds well
with the restricted and cirCum-
scribed nature Of the reCOmmen-
dalton. There is not one word
about the foreign relations OF govern
ment; not one word about the fisheries
question:; the Bherring's straits diff
Guilty; the Mexican border imbroglio;
postal telegraphy; regulation OF immi-
rfu har Re.
naval and coast defences; Nicaragua
canal; South American trade; civil ser
vice reform. or anything else. The
Alpha and Omega was surplus" and
how to get rid Of it without expanding
1t; internal revenue, and how to increase
American protection by removing
duty on foreign manufactured
articles. As to service reform
the presidential finger did not
approximate it. The agOnizing CRY
of three years since was lost, as the
voice of drowning man is lost in the
roaring of gale; lost in the mighty
voice crying for continuation in office,
which rolls over the land like the thun-
dering voice Of many waters. AS an
electioneering document, intended to
bridge the chasm between the free
traders and the protectionists in the
democratic ranks, the paper read before
the congress of the United states yes
terday, was a success. Itwas sufficient
" clear in what it did not say, and suf-
ficiently uncertain In what 1t was sup
posed to say to answer very well the
purpose Of drawing the blanket over the
heads OF both factions OF the democracy,
and keeping them in their little bed I'M
til after November, 1888. As state
paper, dealing with the great questions
OF the hour, and shadowing forth the
direction in which congress should
move In it's dealings with the vast body
Of subjects that must engage It's Atten-
tion, the message was an abortion. 1t